Jon Jones did not have much trouble dealing with Daniel Cormier at UFC 182, but Jones' 2013 rival, Alexander Gustafsson, could not help but yawn during the fight, it seems. Posting on Facebook, the lanky Swede channeled his inner Georges St-Pierre and let Jones know how he felt about his latest title defense:
So there's this... @JonnyBones @AlexTheMauler pic.twitter.com/FfJTH4zq2L
— #UFC182 (@ufc) January 4, 2015
Shots fired, ladies and gentlemen!
For those that have somehow forgotten, Jones and Gustafsson put on the best fight of 2013, and one of the greatest matches in MMA history, back at UFC 165. While the bout was regarded by many as a showcase fight for Jones, Gustafsson shocked many with his potent striking game, battering Jones with jabs from distance and avoiding damage with constant lateral movement.
While Jones would win the fight via unanimous decision, the champ was bloodied and swollen following the fight. The two were sporting afterward, but the sudden rivalry went from friendly to bitter very quickly as Gustafsson ripped into Jones for repeatedly refusing a rematch while Jones actively tried to downplay Gustafsson's very existence.
Unfortunately, Gustafsson already has somebody on his plate: Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
The former welterweight has been absolutely electric since moving to 205 pounds and has scored emphatic wins over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Phil Davis since rejoining the UFC after a three-fight stint with World Series of Fighting. They will face off at UFC on Fox 14 on January 24 in Stockholm, and the winner will earn a title shot, according to Dana White.
If Gustafsson manages to climb past Johnson, we may very well get a fight with an even more intense buildup than what we just saw in Jones vs. Cormier. Watch for our coverage of the event in a few weeks.
